Manningham Placed on Injured Reserve

Chris Biderman

12/27/2013

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mario Manningham has been placed on injured reserve ending his season and possibly his tenure with the team.

After a rigorous rehab from tearing his ACL and PCL almost exactly a year ago Dec. 23 in Seattle, Mario Manningham suffered a serious setback. In response, the San Francisco 49ers Friday placed Manningham on injured reserve.

What's more, the pending free agent might be done in San Francisco.

Since returning from his horrific knee injury Nov. 10, Manningham made nine receptions for 85 yards in 2013. He was held out of Monday night's win over the Atlanta Falcons for the first time since returning to the team.

The 49ers had no comment on the specifics of Manningham's injury, but all indications point to his same left knee that he injured last season. Manningham has been on the practice report since Week 11, just two weeks after coming back from injury. There's no word on whether or not he will require surgery.

Colin Kaepernick completed just nine throws to Manningham on 20 targets with 2 interceptions for a passer rating of 17.7, the lowest number to any wide receiver San Francisco had fielded this season. Those struggles have since been masked by the return of Michael Crabtree, who has 16 receptions for 255 yards in four games since coming back from his Achilles tear suffered in May.

Taking Manningham's place will be rookie fourth-round pick Quinton Patton. The Louisiana Tech alum has just one reception this season after fracturing his foot in Week 4 in St. Louis. He suited up against the Falcons for the first time since the injury but did not register a catch or target.

Patton was very productive in college, amassing 183 catches and 2,594 yards over his two seasons at Louisiana Tech.

With the open roster spot, the 49ers will likely elevate a player of the practice squad that has two receivers, Chuck Jacobs and Devon Wylie. Jacobs caught six balls for 74 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the preseason. Wylie was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of 2012 and signed to the practice squad Dec. 10. Wylie was used exclusively in the return game for Kansas City before being released.

Manningham signed a two-year, $7.375 million contract prior to the 2012 season after spending his first four seasons with the New York Giants.